I understand when reading, writing, or watching a story made into a movie, the concept of “suspension of disbelief,” is a major requirement of the process of entertainment.
The concept is stated simply enough, but pulling it off is an art, one that seems to be going by the wayside.
It seems in today’s entertainment, the ability to make the reader/watcher believe, or at least not question the improbability of the action-taking place, is no longer part of the art.
When reading H.G. Wells The Time Machine or watching any of the variations of it on film, I know it is impossible to time travel, but the story is told in a way which allows the reader to suspend his disbelief and accept the concept if its possibility. The novel is 120 years old this year and is still a cherished classic of Science Fiction.
Tolkien’s Middle Earth is beyond impossible, but the story connects with readers of all ages.
Both artist, and these two are great artists in the true sense of what they created, know the reader is aware of the myth. The artistry is in creating the myth and abiding by its rules. If Gandalf started flying on his staff, after it was established he needed the Eagles to fly, the books would have been discarded.
H.G. Wells did much the same; he set up the rules the Traveler had to abide by and kept to them faithfully.
But here we are today in a world where anything goes as long as it looks good on the screen or paints a vivid bit of action in a book.
I am going to use examples in film for my examples. Why? Because the sad part is more people watch than read. However, it still makes my point.
A Fast and Furious movie were two cars sporting four cylinder engines build for speed over short distances, pull a 10+ ton safe filled with several more tons of money out of a building and race down the streets of Rio, out running police cars is a case in point. Entertaining as it is, it is not in any way believable.
The movie Gravity is another example. Okay I admit I grew up on the Space Program. Program. So when Gravity came out, I thought cool, I must see it. Disappointed doesn’t begin to describe my feelings about the movie. There was not one scene in the entire movie were I could just watch and “suspend my disbelief” at the action taking place. The only reason I finished the movie was that I spent money to watch it. I will say the special effects were well done.
Just this week we received the movie San Andreas. Two disclaimers before I proceed. I grew up in earthquake prone California. I have felt shakers so small and taking place so fast, that you had to think about what just happened, all the way up to 64 seconds of “This damned house is going to beat me to death.” I know what Gordon Lightfoot meant when he sang, “Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?”
The second disclaimer is I am a pilot. Fixed wing, but I do understand what a helicopter can and cannot do.
Never mind that the interaction of the main characters have been done far too many times before. One can hope that the movie’s poor showing in the box office is a sign to screen writers that they need to step up their game and come up with something new. For the record, I am not holding my breath on that hope.
Given the title one would have thought there would more shaking, more rattling and more rolling. More about the quakes and the damage and fight for survival. But what we saw was more stunt flying in an aircraft not designed for, nor built for such impossible tricks, just to make the hero look more heroic than he is.
Okay I just used 732 words to arrive here; Questioning who, what, when and where is fine, much is learned from such questions, by both the artist and those enjoying the art. However, the storyteller or movie director is failing his art if he or she cannot entertain while keeping his or her audience from wondering about the man behind the curtain. If you are reading or watching a movie, and find yourself saying bullshit, then the writer or director has lost sight of his art. Stretching reality or fantasy is one thing, putting them in a shredder is crime against the universe.
If you read my works and find I am losing my art, I hereby give you permission to give me a Leroy Jethro Gibbs head slap.